Middletown to make appointments Wednesday

MIDDLETOWN >> The Common Council will hold an organizational meeting Wednesday to install new commission members and council officers.

Mayor Dan Drew will present Councilman Robert Santangelo, who is expected to retain his seat as deputy mayor.

The council will also consider the appointments of Daniel Russo to replace Carl Chisem on the Planning and Zoning Commission and Philip Pessina to replace Jeremy Clark as a zoning board alternate member.

Chisem resigned from planning and zoning last week amid confusion from the commission. He was elected to the Common Council Nov. 5.

Russo is a veteran zoning commissioner, but was unable to edge out top Democrat zoning vote-getter Stephen Devoto. Only one seat was available to Democrats in this election because of minority representation laws.

Jeremy Clark won a regular seat on the Planning and Zoning Commission and was the only contestant for the alternate seat, which he also won. According to the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting, he resigned his alternate seat effective Nov. 14.

The council will also vote on appointments to new and existing committees, including the first General Counsel Commission, synthesized from what used to be the Personnel Review and Ordinance Study commissions.

The council is also scheduled to vote on appointments to the new Public Works and Facilities and Recreation and Community Services commissions, the new advisory boards that will replace the erstwhile Public Works, Parks and Recreation and Senior Services commissions.